As Macau opens up to Chinese tourists, can it become a luxury shopping hub, like Hong Kong or Hainan?

Hong Kong may be the regional luxury shopping hub, but its strict quarantine rules are keeping the visitors away

Could Macau and Hainan, which have both relaxed regulations, take over from Hong Kong?

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Macau and Hainan island have more relaxed regulations than Hong Kong, but could they rival the city as a luxury shopping destination? The Venetian Macau Resort (above). Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 7:15am, 26 May 2021Updated: 7:46pm, 27 May 2021

Tourists from mainland China flooded into Macau last September, when Chinese authorities resumed allowing visits to the gambling hub once it had reined in the coronavirus.

At the same time, the Chinese island of Hainan, which last year extended duty-free quotas to attract travellers during the pandemic, has become a key destination for mainland Chinese luxury shoppers, who are banned from travelling overseas.

In stark contrast, mainland Chinese luxury shoppers are still few and far between in Hong Kong, which is experiencing sporadic local transmissions of Covid-19 and has strict compulsory quarantine measures for arriving travellers.

As Macau and Hainan welcome more Chinese luxury shoppers, will they challenge Hong Kong’s status as the regional luxury retail hub?

Customers visit a duty-free shop in Haikou, Hainan island. Photo: Xinhua/Guo Cheng

Analysts remain confident that won’t happen because of Hong Kong’s unique advantages. “We expect that Hong Kong will remain a leisure and luxury shopping hub,” says Amrita Banta, managing director at luxury consultancy Agility Research & Strategy, “because of its differentiators as a destination compared with Hainan – its cosmopolitan atmosphere, world-class dining and nightlife, scenery, vibrant local culture, and great shopping [experience].”